Knitting-machine.



No. 638,096. Patented Nov. 28''; I899.

H. CLARKE. KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1699.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 638,096. Patented Nov. 28, I899. H. CLARKE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

- (Application fild Apr. 25, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Witness es Eur e nfo r' No. 638,096. Pat ented Nov. 28, I399. H. CLARKE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 26, 1s99.j

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shut 3.

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NITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY CLARKE, OF NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

KNITTING- MACHINE.

SIPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,096, datedNovember 28, 1899.

Application filed April 25, 1899.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY CLARKE, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Nottingham, in the county of Nottingham, England,have invented a new and 'useful Knitting-Machine, (for which I haveapplied for a patent in Great Britain, No. 16, bearing date January 2,1899,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention, which relates to improvements in circular-knittingmachines, has for its object the production of a circular-knittingmachine upon which selvaged articles may be produced and the provisionof means whereby ,such articles may be widened or narrowed at eitherside or at both sides simultaneously, or widened at one side andnarrowed at the other, thereby enabling a fashioned selvaged article'tobe produced at less cost than heretofore.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure 1 is anelevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section,showing the cam-cylinder-driving mechanism with the cover over thegearwheels removed. Fig. 3 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a side elevation of the thread-carriers, showing their relativeposition to the needles. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of thethread-carrier arrangement. Fig. 6 is an elevation of theknitting-threadcarrier cam. Fig. 7 is an elevation of thesplicing-thread-carrier cam. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the threadtake-up device and connected parts. Fig. 9 is a plan of the mechanismshown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an elevation of the knitting-cam, and Fig.11 is a part plan of the ratchet mechanism and bluff for theknitting-thread-carrier-cam ring.

According to this invention a stationary needle-cylinder is used and theknitting-cam is reciprocated instead of being revolved around the same.The thread-carrier is reciprocated with the knitting-cam and is movedinto and out of its feeding position by cams which are carried by tworings and are auto matically moved to vary the number of needles fed bythe thread, whereby the article is made with selvaged edges, each ofwhich may be fashioned independently of the other. The machine is alsoprovided with splicing mechanism, take-up devices, pattern mech- SerialNo. 714,391. (No model.)

anism, and other means for the efiicient working of the machine.

The needle-cylinder a is attached to a sleeve a and is supported in atube b on the baseplate 1), so that it cannot turn, but may be.

raised and lowered relatively to the knittingcam for varying the tensionof the work pro duced. The outer surface of the cylinder at is cut toreceive the needles a except the part between the needles a or thisportion of the cylinder may be out, but is without any needles to allowof the movable parts of the knitting-cam changing their position whenthe direction of motion of the knittingcam ring 0 is reversed. This ringis fitted to reciprocate in a chamber or recess formed in thebase-plateb and carries the knitting-cams, which comprise a fixedupthrow-cam c, fixed knockingover cams 0 a horizontally-slidingdownthrow-cam c and two vertically-sliding switch-cams 0 which lift-theneedles into position to receive the thread alternately. These cams arefitted up in the usual manner andvthe position of the movable parts ischanged automatically by the needles when the direction of motion isreversed. The outside of the cam-ring is cut to form a gearwheel whichmeshes with a wheel which is fastened to a pinion c and fitted torevolve on a fixed axle c Gearing into the pinion c is a wheel 0fastened to a vertical shaft 0 which has bearings in a bracket c boltedto the under side of the base-plate b, and carries the rack-pinion c.The rack 0 which gears into the pinion o is fitted to slide in a bracketand is actuated from the crank-wheel d through a link 61, lever 61 andlink (1 At both ends of the bracket 0 there are buffersprings 0 againstwhich the rack abuts at the termination of its traverse in eitherdirection, the said spring minimizing the effect of the inertia of themoving parts when the direction of motion is reversed. The crankwheel dhas a short bearing in a bracket on the standard (1 and is driven by apinion on the shaft (1 which is fitted at one end with fast and loosepulleys and at the other end with a fiy-Wheel d.

The machine is fitted with sinkers e, which slide in tricks in a ring 6'and are actuated by a cam e on a ring 6 which has a bearing on a ring 6,fixed t0 the needle-cylinder and is driven from the cam-ring c by abracket 6 fixed thereto, and lugs c screwed to the ring 6 i The bracketcarries the thread-carrier bracket f, upon which the knitting-threadcarrierf is pivoted at f and the splicingthread carrier f at f Bothcarriers have an outwardly-projecting arm, and these are fitted withcam-trucks f The carrier f is provided with a friction-washer or itsequivalent, so that it will remain in or out of its feeding position, ashereinafter explained, while the carrier f is normally held in itsfeeding position by a spring The bracket falso carries the necessarythread-guides and the latch-guard f which is slotted, as shown in Fig.5, to permit of the carriers being raised out of their feeding position.

For automatically operating the splicingcarrierf the machine is fittedwith a fixed cam f which is carried by brackets f from the base b. Inthe arrangement shown the cam f is designed to throw the carrier f outof action at the central portion of its traverse, and thereby splice theouter edges of the fabric; but by varying the size and position of thecam the article maybe spliced at any port-ion, and by removing the camaltogether the article may be spliced throughout.

The cams g and g for throwing the knitting-thread carrier into and outof its feeding position are carried by brackets from rings 9 and 9 whichare fitted to move independently of each other in a recess formed in thebase-plate and are provided with teeth on their outer circumferences.Gearing into these rings there are pinions g and 9 which are fixed toaxles having a bearing on a bracket g and fitted with ratchet-wheels 9Under the ratchet-wheels and fastened thereto there are cut-wheels 9working in conjunction with springs g, which serve to indicate theamount of movement given to the rings g and g and to correct the amountof such movement, the ratchet mechanism being so arranged that amovement of one tooth on one wheel represents an increase or decrease ofone needle at one edge of the fabric. Above the wheels g there arebluffs 9 which are actuated from the pattern-chain through links g andpattern-levers g. For rotating the ratchet-wheels the bracket 9 isfitted with a slide 9, which is actuated at the termination of eachreciprocation of the knitting-cam by a cam g on the crank-wheel shaftthrough a bent lever g, which is fulcrumed at on an axle fixed to thestandard, the lower end of the lever being T-shaped and fitted with twocam-trucks, while the cam Q13 is designed to act as a cam and its owncounter-cam. The slide Q12 carries two ratchet-pawls S for eachratchet-wheel, and the action of these on the ratchet-wheel iscontrolled by the bluif from the pattern mechanism, this arrangementenabling either or both wheels to be actuated in either direction and byvarying the positions of the cams g and g vary the number of needles fedwith the knitting-thread, and consequently enable a fashioned fabric ofany shape to be produced.

The knitting-thread h is drawn from a spool it through a guide Z1guide-channel h under a pivoted shoe 71 over the spring take-up Wire 71and through guides h and h to the carrier. The splicing-thread 7r,passes through parts which are similar to the parts used for the threadh, and these parts are indicated by the same reference-numbers and theletters h and 70, respectively. In an ordinary circular-knitting machinethe take-up device is so fixed that the thread leaves it over the centerof the needle-cylinder; but in the machine herein described the bestresults are obtained and there is the minimum amount of slack to bedealt with if the take-up device is placed, as shown, with the guidesperpendicularly over the outside of the needle-cylinder and the centerof the part of the cylininder devoid of needles.

Under the bracket 2, carrying the take-up springs and connected parts,there is a fixed cutter t" and a movable cutter i for severing thesplicing-thread. The movable cutter is attached to a slide '6 which isguided on pins 7] and is held in the position shown by a catch-lever i,which is connected by a link i to another lever 2' and on the same axleas the lever i there is a lever 2' which is in posit-ion to be actuatedby the pattern mechanism. When the catch 2' is raised, the spring 1'comes into action, the movable cutter is actuated, and thesplicing-thread is severed.

The belt fork-rod Z is guided in brackets on the machine-standard andwhen the belt is on the fast pulley is held by a lever Z, which ispivoted on the same axle as the lever 9 and is held in the positionshown by a spring Z The lever Z may be operated from the front of themachine by a rod Z and when pushed backward the rod Z is released and ismoved endwise by a spring to move the belt onto the loose pulley. Thelever l is also connected by a link Z to the patternchain mechanism, sothat it can be actuated automatically, as hereinafter described.

For controlling the actions of the various parts of the machine apattern-chain o is provided. This is passed around a toothed chain wheel0, which is actuated intermittentlyby a ratchet wheel and pawl 0 from alever 0 which is oscillated by a cam 0 on the crankwheel axle. The chainin the arrangement shown is provided with pattern-bits of two differentheights, thus enabling a narrower chain and a less number ofpattern-chain levers to be used. The chain is suitably guided by pulleyso and 0 the latter being carried by arms from a rod 0, so that they canbe moved according to the length of the chain and for adjusting thetension of the same. The pattern-chain levers are centered at o and areheld in position to be actuated by the chain pattern bits by suitablespring 9 One pattern-chain lever is double-ended, its

the action of a short pattern-bit, while the lower end 0- of the samelever operates the lever 1 through the link 1, the end of which isslotted, so that it is not actuated unless the pattern-chain lever isoperated bya long patternbit, and so that the lever Z maybe operated byhand without operating also the pattern-chain lever. The pattern-leversfor the bluff-plates when operated by short patternbits allow one pawlto come into action, and

when operated by the long pattern-bits allow the other pawl to come intoaction. In connection with these pattern-levers there are holding-outlevers 0 which holdthe patternlevers in the position placed by thepatternchain bits, and thus allow of continuous fashionings being madewithout the use of a separate pattern-bit for each fashioning. There isalso a handle-pattern lever 0 carrying projections at and 0 Theprojection at 0 passes under the levers 0 and when operated by the chainit raises the levers o and allows the pattern-chain levers to fall intotheir normal position. When the lever 0 is moved by hand beyond thedistance it is moved by the pattern-chain, the projection at 0 forcesback all the pattern-levers and raises the pawl 0 and the projection at0 raises the levers 0 thus removing all obstacles to the revolution ofthe wheel 0' by hand in either direction.

The machine herein described may be used for the manufacture of allkinds of fashioned selvaged articles, such as pants-legs, shirtsleeves,and the like. When commencing to knit an article, a rib fabric is run onthe needles, if desired, and the cams g g are Wound in by hand until thethread-carrieris thrown in and out of its feeding position at theselvage-needle. The machine is then started and a piece of parallel workknitted until the cams g g are moved to a different position and thethread fed to a greater or less number of needles. When the splicing isto be commenced, the machine is stopped and the splicing-carrierthreaded. The machine being restarted, the splicing-thread carrier, theeye of which rests upon the eye of the knitting-thread carrier when bothare in action, is moved in and out of action by the knittingthreadcarrier at the selvages of the article and also in dependently of theknitting-thread carrier at the inside edges of the spliced portion ofthe article by the fixed cam f", the splicing-thread being floatedacross the machine between the two inside edges of the spliced portionof the fabric. When the splicing-thread is put into work, the cutter isopened, and when the spliced portion of the article is completed, thesplicing-thread is antomatically severed without stopping the machine.By arranging the cams g and g independently of each other they may bemoved in any direction and the fabric may be widened or narrowedsimultaneously at both sides, or it may be widened or narrowed at eitherside, or it may be widened at one side and narrowed at the other side.

The fashionings in thismachine are made without transferrence of loops,and consequently without loss of time, as the widenings are made byfeeding the thread to a greater number of needles and the narrowings byreducing the number of needles to which the thread is fed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a circular-knitting machine the combination of the needles, theneedle-cylinder, the knitting-cam, a knitting-cam ring, the gear-wheelsdriving the same, a rack driving the gear-wheels, the crank, lever, andlinks driving the rack, a knitting-thread carrier, theknitting-thread-carrier cams, the rings carrying the same, the ratchetmechanism actuating such rings and chain-pattern mechanism to controlthe operation of said ratchet mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a circular-knitting machine the combination of the needles, theneedle-cylinder, the knitting-cam ring, the sinkers, the sinkeroam, thesinker-ring, means for reciprocating the knitting-cam ring, connectionsbetween the knitting and sinker cam rings, a knittingthread carrierconnected to the knitting-cam ring knitting-thread-carrier cams forthrowing it in and out of action, rings carrying the said cams, ratchetmechanism for actuating the said rings in either direction, thread takeup devices, a fixed and movable cutter for the splicing-thread, andpattern-chain mechanism to control said cutter and said ratchetmechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a circular-knitting machine the combination of the needles, aneedle-cylinder partially filled with needles, knitting-cams; a reciprocating knitting-cam ring, a thread-carrier connected to theknitting-cam ring, cams for throwing the thread-carrier in and out ofaction, rings carrying the said cams, pin ions gearing with the saidcam-rings, ratchetwheels attached thereto, pawls for the ratchetwheels,a slide carrying the pawls, bluffs regulating the action of the pawlsand chain-pattern mechanism controlling the bluffs substantially asdescribed.

4. In a circular-knitting machine the combination of the needles theneedle-cylinder, the reciprocating knitting-cam ring, crank and gearingactuating the cam-ring, a knitting-thread carrier and a splicingthreadcarrier connected to the knitting-cam ring a fixed cam for throwing thesplicing-thread carrier into and out of action independently of theknitting-thread carrier, a knittingthread take-up device, asplicing-thread take up device, a bracket carrying such devices, a fixedthread-cutter, a sliding thread-cutter, a catch for holding the latteropen, a patternohain, levers and links between the chain andcutter-catch and a belt-shifting rod substantially as described.

5. In a circular-knitting machine the combination of the needles, theneedle-cylinder, a sinker-ring attached thereto, the sinkers, thesinker-cam ring, the knitting-cam ring, and connections between it andsaid sin-kercam ring, a crank, links, rack and gear-Wheels actuating theknitting-cam ring rack buffersprings, a thread-carrier bracket connectedto the knitting-cam ring, knitting-thread carrier pivotedthereto,thread-carriercams,rings carrying the same, ratchet mechanismWhereby either ring can be moved independently of the other and patternmechanism controlling the action of the ratchet mechanism substantiallyas described.

6. In a circular-knitting machine the combination of the needles,needle-cy1inder,knit- HENRY CLARKE.

WVitnesses:

T. J USWIGUE, A. B. CLARKE.

